Maybe he knows something: His $50 billion hockey tournament isn’t likely to turn out well for the home team, the way it did for Canada four years ago in Vancouver. The Russians will be forced to take the long way to the medal round now, having lost one game in a shootout to the U.S. and having won one game in a shootout over Slovakia. They will have to play Norway for the right to play Finland in the next round.

The Russians have ample talent at the top of their roster, world-class talent, but lack depth and are shaky on defense. It’s going to take a huge run these next few days, and a lot of greatness from Alexander Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk, for Putin’s multi-billion-dollar bet to pay off.

Ovechkin played 9:01 in the third period of the Russians’ gasp-inducing 1-0 shootout victory over Slovakia, a result that kept the Russian hockey empire from crumbling altogether. Still, the Russians have to take the path less traveled, forced to play while the other favorites, the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland, get the bye and take some needed time off.

Ultimately, it will come down like this: If everything goes according to form, the U.S. will eventually play Canada in a reprise of 2010’s gold-medal match. And if the Russians don’t fall apart, they will eventually get Sweden.

The word “epic” comes to mind.

Handicapping the field:

>>The best odds have to go to Canada, despite a closer-than-expected overtime victory over Finland. This may rank as the deepest Canadian team ever, with massive talent up the middle, a strong defense and two workable goaltenders in Carey Price and Roberto Luongo.

The Canadians have gone unblemished early in this tournament despite a relatively quiet start by Sidney Crosby, who’s got no goals and two assists.

“I think you always want more,” Crosby said. “If you’d asked me that questions a month ago, I’d say I’d like to create more. It’s the same right now. You always want to generate offense, create chances and obviously put the puck in the net.”

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His coach, Mike Babcock, wasn’t in a mood to hear about Crosby’s understated performance so far.

David Poile, the team general manager who didn’t make the trip to Sochi after suffering injuries when he took a puck to the eye back home, did a masterful job of putting this group together. While Canada essentially took all of its best players, the United States focused more of finding workable parts for its team. T.J. Oshie is the best example: He was brought in almost solely for shootouts, and that decision paid off handsomely in the Russia game.

“We wanted to make our team tough to play against,” said director of player personnel Brian Burke. “We looked for big-body guys who could skate and handle the larger ice surface. The pieces have to fit together, especially in a tournament like this when most of the teams are playing together for the first time in a while.”

The Americans are fast, strong and deep up front, have some youth on their back line, and have two goaltenders, Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller, who both deserve to play in big games — although coach Dan Bylsma looks like he’s going to turn to Quick down the road, just as he did in the Russia game.

“They’re strong, they’re fast,” said Slovenian coach Matjaz Kopitar after the Americans beat his team 5-1. “They’re a medal contender for sure.”

The Americans will play the winner of the Czech Republic-Slovakia game.

>>Third, Sweden.

The Swedes have been ravaged by injuries. Henrik Sedin and Johan Franzen did not come to Sochi, and Henrik Zetterberg, their magical center, was hurt in the Olympic opener.

Still, they’ve played solid hockey their first two games, and have a game-changer in the nets, the Rangers’ Henrik Lundquist. If any goalie has a chance to play the Ryan Miller role from 2010, it’s Lundquist, who picked up his game the last few weeks of the NHL season.

“I think we have good chemistry,” defenseman Johnny Oduya said Wednesday. “Swedes are — how you say? — we like to play for each other and make sure the team game comes first.”

The Swedes will play the winner of Slovenia and Austria.

Where’s Finland?

Finland most likely awaits Russia, which next plays Norway, and it’s hard to imagine Russia losing that Finnish game and failing to make the final four of this tournament.

At least they’d better.

Putin doesn’t strike anybody as a guy with patience or a sense of humor.